A Strange Encounter
by ReesiesLover
Summary: SasuSaku When Sasuke came back to Konoha, he noticed that Sakura was gone. Thinking she was on a mission, he shrugged it off. Boy, is he in for a surprise. Based on Just Like Heaven Rated T for language and heavy kissing!
1. Prologue

**Title: **A Strange Encounter

**Pairings: **SasuSaku, NaruHina, InoCho, ShikaTem

* * *

_He kissed her forcefully. The kiss was every bit possessive as it was passionate. Their lips smashed together as they both fought for dominance. He picked her up a couple inches off the ground and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He groaned and slammed her into the wall. Grabbing her wrists from around his neck and holding them up above their heads and against the wall, he pulled back and broke the kiss for a few seconds. She whimpered from the lost contact, but when she opened her eyes and they made eye contact, she whispered three words that gripped his heart._

"_I love you."_

_His eyes darkened from coal to onyx and he fiercely caught her lips in his own. She wrenched her wrists from his grasp and wrapped her arms around his neck again, drawing him closer. One of her hands ran through his dark hair and it suddenly became hotter in the small room. He backed away from the wall and wrapped his arms around her waist._

_They kissed eagerly for a few more seconds before they had to stop for breath. _

"_I'm sorry," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. "But I had to do it."_

_Knowing exactly what he meant, she closed her eyes, and nuzzled her nose against his._

"_I love you," she repeated. "And you're back. We can be happy together. Isn't that what you wanted? To be happy?"_

_He frowned. "I thought I would be happy once I killed him, but I was wrong."_

_She opened her eyes and watched him carefully. "What do you mean?"_

"_I'm only happy when I'm with the people I care about," he whispered. _

_He looked down, slightly embarrassed, and she smiled. _

"_We care about you, too. We want to see you happy."_

_Looking back up at her, he said two words that froze her heart. _

"_Thank you."_

_A tear fell out of each eye._

"_Why? Why would you say that to me now?" she whispered fiercely._

_He realized what he had said and touched one of the tears, wiping it away. _

"_That night, I didn't really want to leave you. Naruto, Kakashi, too. I didn't want to leave. But I needed power. And that…that thing…that thing was the only way. I _had_ to leave. Because, if I didn't, that man who murdered the people I cared about would find out I cared about you, too. All three of you."_

_More tears fell._

"_I told you that night that I would go with you and help," she said quietly. "But you abandoned me."_

"_Listen to me. If you went, you would have died. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I put you in further danger than you are in now."_

_She glared at him. _

"_You would not have been to blame if I died. You can't take all the blame whenever anything bad happens," she said, punching his shoulder. Though she hadn't used her full strength, he staggered back, staring at her with wary eyes._

"_I loved you! Wasn't that enough?" she shouted._

_He straightened up and looked her straight in the eyes. After a short silence, he said one word._

"_No."_

* * *

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. 

Sakura rolled over to hit the snooze button. As she opened her eyes to locate it, she gasped and jumped out of the bed, mentally cursing herself.

8:02

She was late for work. Again.

* * *

Sakura sighed and rubbed her temples for the third time that day. Her patients were driving her into insanity. Three had even proposed to her. And out of those three proposals, one was an old man, one man was already married—with children, no less—and the other had been a _woman_. 

It was, Sakura decided, time to take a break.

So she maneuvered her way through other medics and patients in the emergency section of the hospital and headed towards the staff's lounge, where she could make herself some instant ramen.

Naruto had been right, she mused as she took a bite. Ramen _was_ delicious.

_I hope he gets back from his mission soon_, she thought, setting the cup down and yawning. _It's almost that time._

Naruto was on a mission to bring back Sasuke. Rumor had it that he had defeated both Orochimaru and Itachi. All he needed now was for someone to drag him back to Konoha.

Sakura closed her bright green eyes. She hadn't thought of Sasuke since that dream. Her patients were too demanding to allow her some peace and quiet. In fact, she would have gone on the mission if Tsunade-sama hadn't needed her so badly at the hospital.

A frantic voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Sakura-san! There you are! There's a patient in critical condition in room 103! Hurry!"

Sakura instantly jumped up and abandoned her ramen. It would have to wait.

A patient needed her, unlike someone else she could mention.

* * *

Ino came to visit her on her lunch break. 

"Hey fore-head," she said. "You busy?"

"As a matter of fact," Sakura said, walking past her friend. "I am. I'm going to a nice quiet restaurant where I can relax and eat my lunch in peace."

Ino grinned. "Why don't I join you?"

"Ino-pig, you can't invite yourself to other people's quiet time," Sakura said, waiting for her friend to catch up.

"Admit it. You love my company."

"Of course I do. You're one of my best friends."

The made small talk on the way, but once they arrived at the restaurant, Ino became serious.

"Have you been eating enough lately? You're thinner than me!"

Sakura scoffed. "Of course I have. Don't worry about me."

"Instant ramen isn't real food."

"Ino, I'm fine."

"You said I am one of your best friends. Of course I'm going to worry about you. You better eat a steak and some veggies, because I'm watching."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I've been eating. It's just that I haven't been sleeping well."

"Do you have that dream again?"

Sakura put down the menu she had been looking at and sighed. After a short minute of silence, she nodded.

Ino looked at her worriedly. "You've got to get over him, Sakura."

Sakura put her hands in her lap and looked down at them. "I know."

"Which is why I've set you up on a date," Ino said rather happily.

"NANI?!" Sakura shrieked. "You can't do that!"

"I can, and I did."

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I pictured a quiet lunch," the exasperated kunoichi said. She sighed. "All right, I'll go. But if he's a creep or a jerk or a pervert, I'm leaving."

Ino squealed happily. "I knew you'd go!"

"Yeah, whatever."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Sakura was interrupted before she could leave the hospital. 

"Sakura-san, you have to come here!" a medic she didn't really know yelled at her, running as fast as he could.

"I'm off right now. Maybe you can get Shizune." She put her hand on the door to the stairs. The medic put a hand on her arm. She wrenched it away and glared at him. He, however, ignored the glare and continued to pester her.

"No, it has to be you."

"Why?" she sighed.

"It's Uzumaki Naruto..."

She stiffened when she heard that, but Sakura could tell he wasn't finished.

"What about him? Is he okay?"

"He's fine."

"So, what is it?"

"It's…Uchiha Sasuke."

He hesitated and Sakura sighed. It seemed like everyone knew that she didn't like to hear that name. She looked at the handle of the door.

"Wh…What about him?"

"Naruto-san ran in, with Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura felt her heart beat faster. "…And?"

"Uchiha Sasuke is dying. And Shizune isn't here. Only you have enough training to help."

Sakura was running before he could even finish.

* * *

**A/N**: Well, that's the prologue. The next chapter will be up soon. Reviews would be greatly appreciated! 

Special Note: This probably won't be updated as fast as _Happy Now?_. School's about to start and I will probably get a job. So keep an eye out!


	2. Chapter 1

Sasuke opened the door warily. Naruto had told him the apartment used to belong to Sakura, so he was nervous about the décor. When the door swung open, he relaxed. The walls were a pale yellow that magnified the now setting sun. She had dark brown furniture that looked comfortable and stylish. She obviously had grown up in the last five years he had been gone.

He set his small bag on a side table in the entryway and went to look around, his hands in his pockets. There were only three pictures in the apartment; one of her parents, one of the old Team 7, and one of her, Naruto, Kakashi and some guy he didn't know. Sakura was smiling in each one.

He looked away from the pictures and went down a short hallway to his left. He located the bathroom, the bedroom, and a closet full of towels and cleaning supplies.

He sighed and went back to the small sitting room and sat down on the comfortable couch.

He was bored.

Thankfully, though, a loud banging on the door saved him.

"Hey, Sasuke-teme," Naruto greeted, slapping him on the back. Sasuke frowned and moved out of Naruto's way so he could enter the residence.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Naruto, though not rudely.

"Just seeing how you find the place," he answered, plopping down on the couch.

"It's fine," Sasuke stated blandly. He sat across from his former teammate and watched him survey the room.

"What's it like being out of the hospital for the first time in two months?" Naruto asked, trying to make small talk. Ever since they had gotten back, things had been way more than awkward.

"Fine."

"Oh, okay."

"Where is Sakura, anyway?" Sasuke asked, looking back at the pictures.

"She's…ano…she's…on a mission! Yeah, that's right!" Naruto's arm went up and he subconsciously rubbed the back of his head. Then he frowned and looked at the floor.

_Must be a dangerous mission_, Sasuke thought. _He looks worried_.

Naruto glanced back up at him and grinned. "She'll be back soon, though. I know she will."

"Aa." Sasuke swore he saw Naruto's happy expression drop a bit.

"Well, Sasuke-teme," Naruto said, standing up. "I guess I'll go now. I promised Hinata-chan that I'd go out for real food with her."

He stuck out his tongue and grimaced.

"Aa. See you, dobe."

Naruto smiled back. "See ya, teme."

* * *

Naruto visited Sasuke every day, bringing him news about old acquaintances and other various things that Sasuke didn't care about. He couldn't wait until his probation was over, but he knew he would have to suffer those long months. He deserved it. After he had defeated both Orochimaru and Itachi, he had stayed away from Konoha for a few weeks before Naruto found him, wary about the consequences of his return. 

He'd been relieved to find that most people welcomed him back like he had just gone on a very long mission. Even the Hokage wasn't that mad at him.

"You rid us of those two bastards," she'd said. "So I am giving you the minimal sentence. Welcome back."

Naruto had been anything but angry. When he'd found him, the blond boy had been ecstatic. But Sasuke had wanted a fight. And Naruto had accepted. Sasuke, however was still weakened from the fights with his brother and Sannin sensei.

In the fight, Naruto had almost used seven of the Kyuubi's nine tails. And Sasuke blacked out.

When he'd woken up in the hospital, Naruto hadn't been as happy as when he'd first seen him. Thinking he was just tired, Sasuke brushed it off.

Every time Naruto visited him, the boy seemed to grow less hyperactive. Sasuke observed him, silently trying to understand why.

He got his first clue two weeks after he got out of the hospital.

"So, Sasuke-teme, what are you doing today?"

"What do you think?" Sasuke asked. "I'm sitting here, doing nothing."

"Well, I was thinking we could go visit Kakashi-sensei. He just got back from his mission, and he's been wanting to talk to you." Naruto grinned at him.

Sasuke nodded. "I suppose I could go."

"Good!" Naruto did the nice-guy pose and Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Because, as much as he annoyed him, Sasuke had missed Naruto.

So they went to the old training grounds to meet their former sensei. The first thing Kakashi did when he got there was say, "Yo! Sorry I'm late, but I was helping an old man with his groceries."

Naruto waved a hand impatiently. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke-teme. Sasuke-teme, Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "You dobe."

Kakashi stared at Sasuke, taking him in. After a few minutes of silence, he nodded.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke stepped forward and bowed his head. "Gomen, Kakashi-sensei."

"No need for that," Kakashi said. "I forgive you for what you made Sakura do."

Sasuke looked back up. "What?"

Kakashi looked at Naruto, an eyebrow raised.

"You know, she, ano…she left on that long mission to make herself stronger. She wanted to prove to everyone—including you—that she could be a great ninja!" Naruto said, punching the air. "Yeah, that's right."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow this time.

_Is that really it?_

Kakashi ordered Naruto and Sasuke to spar, but Naruto refused. He shot a look at Sasuke, and then nodded at Kakashi, as if to say, _remember what happened?_

Sasuke scowled at him, wondering what the hell was being kept from him. He didn't like secrets, even when he knew them.

So he decided to interrogate Naruto.

* * *

He asked the first question while eating ramen. Naruto was happily slurping his second bowl down when Sasuke asked, "What kind of mission is Sakura on?" 

Sasuke was not one for subtlety when it came to his friends.

Naruto choked on the noodles and coughed. "W-What?"

"You heard me."

"It was a…a…B-rank…and..." Naruto struggled.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and went back to eating his ramen. "If you can't remember, dobe, just forget it."

Naruto sighed, relieved. "Fine."

Sasuke watched him out of the corner of his eye. If he wasn't on the damn probation, he could follow Naruto or Kakashi and figure out what they were keeping from him.

* * *

Two nights later, Sasuke was alone in the apartment. He sat on the couch and stared at Sakura's television. The program didn't interest him—nothing really ever did except training—and he was bored once again. 

So he decided to look around the apartment more. He started in the kitchen. Sakura kept all of her food neatly organized, unlike the dobe, who Sasuke knew didn't have any unexpired food other than instant ramen cups. She even kept the refrigerator organized.

_Why would I get her apartment? _Sasuke pondered as he reached to get a bottle of water. _If she's coming back—_

Sasuke nearly dropped the water when he heard a shriek.

"Agh! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Sasuke whipped around, his Sharingan activated and his fists clenched and ready to fight…

But there was no one there.

"What the…?" Sasuke scanned the room with the Sharingan, but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. He ran a hand through his hair, muttering to himself. "Probably just imagining things…"

Nevertheless, Sasuke was on edge the rest of that day.

The next morning, he was woken up by the same voice screaming at him.

"Get out of my apartment, you bastard!" the voice yelled.

His eyes snapped open and he jumped out of the bed, scanning the room with his Sharingan. But still, no one was there. He disabled the Sharingan and sat down on the bed, still in boxers and a loose t-shirt, rubbing his head.

_Am I going insane?_

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the short chapter. I had major writer's block. Ick. 

Anyway, the next chapter:

Sasuke sees who is screaming. And freaks out.  
Just kidding. He doesn't freak out.

For update news, go see my profile!


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for the delayed update. I just couldn't write anything that sounded remotely good. So I rewrote this chapter FIVE TIMES. In different point-of-views, different content completely, etc. I just couldn't write anything! And it SUCKED. And I'm also sorry about the short-ish chapter.

I hope you'll forgive me.

Anyway, updates will probably be delayed for period of time. My honor classes are hard, and they are full of projects and homework, so please keep that in mind when you review, telling me to update soon.

I'll try my hardest.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto found him sitting in the corner of the apartment, with a kunai in his hand and a paranoid look in his eyes. Sighing, he gently removed the kunai from the Uchiha's hand and sat next to him.

"Where'd ya get it?" he asked, twirling the object on his finger. Sasuke looked from the spot on the wall he had been staring at, his Sharingan now activated.

"I found it."

"Ah." Naruto leaned back on the couch and watched Sasuke watch him.

They stayed like that for several minutes before Sasuke deactivated the Sharingan and blinked several times, trying to get the woman's voice out of his head. He'd heard it twice, and after going over the sound, he had determined that, in fact, it was a woman.

Sasuke sighed, frustrated. "Take me somewhere."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You know you can't go anywhere." Then, seeing the intensity of the Uchiha's glare, he sighed. "Fine. I guess the old lady won't mind if I go with you. Where do you want to go?"

There was a pause.

"Don't tell me you don't know where you want to go!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke looked down at his folded hands.

"Anywhere."

Naruto brightened and grinned hugely. "Anywhere?"

* * *

He watched Sasuke glare at the flaps of the ramen stand, still grinning. The glaring seventeen year old looked at his friend and sighed, frustrated. Naruto lifted a flap and walked into the stand. Then he ordered his usual; Sasuke didn't order anything. The sullen boy sat leaning forward, his chin resting on his folded hands. It was very similar to the way he sat the day Team 7 started, when Kakashi asked them to talk about themselves.

Naruto looked at Sasuke every few seconds, wondering what he was thinking.

"What are you thinking?" he asked. Naruto was one to cut straight to the point.

Sasuke looked at him out of the corner of his eye and sighed. "It's nothing. I'm just tired."

Naruto squinted at him and rubbed the back of his neck. "Tired? What have you been doing?"

The stoic seventeen year old rolled his eyes. "Not _physically _tired, dobe._Mentally_ tired."

"Did Shikamaru come over and play Go with you?"

(Sigh.) "I haven't seen anyone but you, the old lady, Kakashi, that other perverted Sannin, and the old lady's apprentice," Sasuke stated. He leaned back a little in his seat and rubbed his temples. What was that voice? Did it really happen? He hadn't heard it since that second time. After going over the voice once, he opened his eyes and watched Naruto stare at him.

Naruto visibly winced at something over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Hey, Dickless," said a man behind him. He turned around to see a pale ninja around his age, sporting a manufactured smile on his face.

"Stop calling me that!" Naruto growled, his cheeks turning slightly red. Then, turning to look at Sasuke, he said, "This is Sai."

Sasuke nodded at him.

"You mean this is the Worthless Bastard?" Sai asked. He was still smiling.

"Sai," Naruto hissed. "Don't."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What did you just call me?"

"Worthless Bastard."

The Uchiha stood up, glaring at Sai, who just smiled emotionlessly.

"And you are…?"

"Sai." He stuck out his hand, but Sasuke just looked at it like there was a fungus growing on it. "Okay. Never mind. I'm the guy who took your spot."

Sasuke scoffed. "_You_ took _my_ spot?"

Sai tilted his head, still smiling. "Yep."

Both ninjas were gradually stepping closer to each other, and when they were just two feet away, Naruto stepped in. Literally.

"Dobe, that's my foot. It's not a step-ladder," Sasuke hissed angrily.

"Hey, Dickless, watch where you walk."

Blushing bright red, Naruto glared at them. "Gomen," he said sarcastically. Then, to Sai, he said, "Come on, just stop bothering him. He's on probation, remember? Believe it."

Sasuke glared at Sai until he stepped back. Sai then bowed his head in Sasuke's direction, said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Uchiha," and then disappeared.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Sorry about that Sasuke. He's always like that. Even Sak—"

"Forget it," Sasuke cut in. "I'll handle the apartment on my own."

He disappeared in a puff of dark smoke. Naruto blinked. "_Sakura's_ apartment?"

* * *

Sasuke was just getting to sleep when he heard the voice again.

"I THOUGHT I MADE IT CLEAR TO YOU THAT I WANT YOU OUT OF MY APARTMENT!"

His eyes flashed red and he was standing on top of the futon in a brief instant. No one was standing in the room, but he thought he caught a flash of red in the doorway. He jumped off the bed, took the kunai he had stowed in the room earlier and slowly made his way to the door.

"Show yourself," he commanded. "If you don't, I _will_ find you and I _will_ kill you."

"Pssh, like you can kill me," the voice answered. "You can't even see me! I'm right in front of you."

His eyes flashed and the Sharingan swirled. Right in front of him? Did this woman have an invisibility jutsu or something?

"Why are you here?" he asked.

The voice was silent. "I…I don't know."

He gritted his teeth. "Okay, then who are you?"

"…I…I don't know."

"Did you know Haruno Sakura?"

"Sakura? That name sounds familiar."

He dropped the hand holding the kunai and stepped forward. "Were you a patient of hers? I heard she was a medic-nin."

"No, I don't think that's it," the woman answered. "Something more important than that."

Sasuke thought for a moment about how _annoying_ this woman was being. She couldn't even remember her own name! How stupid could a person get?

Then suddenly, a person started appearing in the doorway. He took several steps back as he saw black shinobi boots, a light cream skirt, and a red shirt. The last thing that appeared was the woman's head with her bright green eyes and her sakura-pink hair.

* * *

"You're Sakura," Sasuke deadpanned. "That's why you're here."

Sakura tilted her head and watched him pace in front of where she was sitting. "You know me?"

Sasuke sat down on the couch in the living area and ran his finger through his hair.

"You mean, you don't remember who I am?" he asked incredulously. The girl had been in love with him since they were in the academy! And now she doesn't remember who he is? Something terrible must have happened.

"Well, I'm sure I would, but that's not important right now. What's important is that I figure out why I'm not in my physical body right now. Do you know of people that, well, know me?" She narrowed her eyes in concentration.

"There's Naruto, the old lady, Kakashi—"

"None of those names sound familiar," Sakura said, frustrated. Sasuke was beginning to feel frustrated himself. He did not want to be dealing with this. At. All. "And 'old lady'? How am I supposed to know her if you don't give me a name?"

He rolled his eyes. "Her name is Tsunade and she is the Hokage of the village."

"Hokage," she said, drawing out the syllables like it was a foreign word she was just getting used to. "What is a Hokage?"

"The leader of the village. He—or she—is usually the best ninja."

"Wow, I know someone like that?!" she exclaimed. "That is so cool!"

"Sure it is," he muttered under his breath. Then, so she could hear him, "I'm going to bed."

"But isn't this my apartment?" Sakura grinned devilishly. "Therefore, I get the bed. You sleep on the couch."

"But you're not even real, Sakura. You're a spirit, or something like that, and you're being annoying, okay? Leave me alone."

Something flashed in Sakura's eyes, but disappeared before Sasuke could catch it. When he left the room, she started fading away, until it was as if she had never been there.


	4. Note: New Chapter Soon Sorry

I'm so sorry. Really, there are no words.

I'm trying to write the next chapter, if you guys are still with me. I'm seventeen now, and hopefully more dependable.

Thanks for reading this note, and I'll try to have the next chapter up a.s.a.p.


End file.
